An entrenched conflict about how Denver International Airport should develop got even testier Tuesday when Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan slammed last week's revenue-sharing proposal by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.

"I am not slapping Mayor Hancock for trying, but this is not it," Hogan said Wednesday. "I am looking for a true revenue-sharing deal, and this is not it. This is an expense-sharing deal."

The conflict between two of the state's largest counties and their communities about development on DIA has been punctuated by canceled meetings, threats of litigation and terse letters back and forth.

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The two sides are at odds about Hancock's desires to add commercial development in and around DIA to fulfill his vision of a grand scale aerotropolis. The Adams side believes the development would violate a 25-year-old intergovernmental agreement drawn up when Denver annexed the property for the airport.

The spirit of the contract is meant to restrict Denver from developing airport property in a manner that benefits Denver's tax base to the exclusion of the neighboring cities.

Last month, Adams officials asked Hancock to provide them with "tangible benefits" they would see from allowing development at DIA.

Hancock answered Friday by sending a letter proposing a special taxing district that would share revenue with Adams County communities in exchange for unrestricted development at the airport.

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Such a district, Hancock said, would collect taxes from the new projects with the majority of the money paying for public infrastructure projects in an off-airport area in Adams County, Aurora, Commerce City and Denver.

On Tuesday, Hogan sent a letter back to Hancock, saying he and the Aurora City Council don't believe the special district would fairly benefit Aurora citizens. Hogan emphasized he was speaking for Aurora and not the other communities in Adams County.

But Adams County commissioners issued a statement later on Wednesday saying they agreed with Hogan.

"The proposal fails to provide revenue sharing that would sufficiently compensate Adams County for Denver being allowed to develop DIA without the restrictions agreed upon when Adams County voters allowed Denver to annex the DIA property," the letter said. "We are firmly committed to protecting Adams County's citizens by ensuring full compliance with the annexation agreement."

Hogan's letter said Hancock's proposal would produce "little for the citizens of Aurora, and in exchange, the citizens of Aurora would give up jobs, tax revenues, and all the other benefits that would come from the economic development around DIA envisioned in the IGA."

Speaking to The Denver Post, Hogan said Denver should offer an enticement to Adams County communities that would make them want to change a 25-year-old agreement set up to protect their interests.

"This isn't an enticement," he said. "This is an offer to help us pay to do what Denver wants to do. ... It's being portrayed as revenue sharing, when in fact the revenue will all come to Denver and some of it will come to Aurora, Adams and Commerce City. But most of it will stay in Denver. So we will be helping them. We aren't getting 100 percent. At best, we're getting 50 percent."

Hogan on Thursday is expected to make those points in a closed-door meeting of the Adams County Airport Coordinating Committee, which is made up of representatives from Adams County, Commerce City, Brighton, Thornton and Westminster.

"I don't mean to suggest that the only thing that will work in terms of a negotiation is if Denver gives and gives," Hogan said. "If Denver wants us to help pay for things, the best way to encourage me is to show how I am going to get revenue or to offer me revenue. Don't show me how I am going to pay for things and worry about the revenue later."

Hogan conceded DIA's development would likely mean more people would move to the area.

"Guess what? Residential development never pays its own way," he said. "So while we get the population, we also get the expense of the police departments, fire departments and water and sewer extensions. We are not getting the head taxes, we are not getting the income taxes from those companies, the property taxes from the development, the sales taxes that come from the development. We are just getting the bodies, and we have to pay for them."

Hancock on Wednesday released a statement saying he was disappointed in Aurora's response.

"(It) indicates an unwillingness to roll up our collective sleeves to create a collective vision and dismisses the vast opportunity to create jobs and millions of dollars in economic development for the entire metro region," Hancock said.

The revenue-sharing concept, Hancock said, "would provide our partners with hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue generated on the airport over the next few decades to invest in regional infrastructure. As history teaches us, the creation of new jobs directly benefits the region; two-thirds of the 30,000 employees who work at DIA, live, shop and pay property taxes in our regional partners' communities."

Kim Day, Denver's aviation manager, said the development would be specifically for businesses that need direct airport access. Businesses would have to want to pay extra expenses to be on the airport. And she wants DIA to be in the position to attract those firms that may choose to locate in other cities.

Cary Kennedy, Denver's chief financial officer, called Hancock's proposal an "elegant solution" that raises the taxes on airport businesses while spending that money on neighboring communities to help them build up their infrastructure.

She believes that will in effect make those neighboring communities more attractive to businesses than the airport.

Hancock said he remained hopeful the other parties in the dispute "will take a different approach than Aurora."

Commerce City mayor Sean Ford said through a spokeswoman he thought Hancock's proposal was a positive step forward. He would not offer an opinion on Hogan's statements.

"Our intention is to continue to work collaboratively with Denver," said Julia Emko, spokeswoman for Commerce City. "We really believe these discussions are worthwhile and they benefit the entire region, not just one city."

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